Safety-vent for crude-oil-storage tanks.



W. M. BOWLES. SAFETY VENT-FOR CRUDE OH. STORAGE TANKS-- APPLICATION FlLED JAN. 27. 1915.

a9 n Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

WILLIAM M. BowLns, or SHAWNEE, oKLAri-oivragl SAFETY-VENT FOR CRUDE-OIL-STORAGE TANKS.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea January 27, 1915. serial No. 4,746.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAMM. BowLEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shawnee, in the county of Pottawatomie and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Vents for Crude-Oil-Storage Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety vents for crude oil storage tanks.` In the filling of .such tanks, a column of gas results and it' frequently happens that it becomes ignited from lightning, resulting in the contents of the tanks being set on re. The present invention therefore aims to provide a safety vent for such tanks so constructe as to automatically close in the event of the gas being ignited through lightning striking the outlet end of the vent.

Another aim of the invention is to so con-y struct the device that it may be employed in connection with an underground storage tank or one designed to be used above ground Without any alterations in the construction of the device being made necessary. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the device, the view also illustrating the tank in connection with which the ldevice is employed; Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view through the outlet end of the vent.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in vthe following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, lthe numeral 1 indicates theI tank in connection with which the de- 7 .vice is to be employed and this tank may be j of cement or metal and may be located above or under ground, as may be desired. The tank is provided in it'stop with the usual manhole 2 closed by a cover 3 and its said top is further' provided preferably at a point remote from the opening 2 with a vent opening, indicated at 4. lThe tank, illustrated in the drawings, is arranged underground, and fitted into the vent opening is one end of an elbow pipe 5 of tiling or other material which is a non-conductor of electricity. A number of other sections of tile, indicated at 6, are connected to and lead from the elbowrpipe 5 so that the gases escaping from the tank may be conveyed the desired distance away from the tank before 7 of a .vertically disposed vent pipe 8 which may, if desired, be of metal inasmuch as it, in itself, houses the safety devices embodying the invention. The lower end of the pipe 8 is preferably closed and its upper end extends above the ground surface, as clearly shown in Fig. .1 of the drawings and is open. Arranged in spaced relation with respect to, each other and one aboveanother within the upper branch of the pipe 8, are a number `ofdisks 9 of wire gauze material, these disks-permitting of. the escape of the gas andyet serving efectually Vto prevent passage of the Haine downwardly within the pipe in the event that the gas or gases above the upper disk become ignited. The disks 9 are provided centrally each with an opening 10 for a purpose which will be presently explained. A weighted valve or gate 11 is pivotally mounted, as at 12, at the juncture of the branch 7 with the pipe 8 and is designed, under conditions to be presently explained, to rest against a seat 13 formed at the point stated so as to eHectua-llyclose the Vent as a Whole and prevent the further escape of gases or the passage of ia'me in the event of ignition of the gases at the upper end of the pipe 8. rIhis valve 11 is, however, normally held open or partly open so that the vent may serve the purpose for which it is employed and this is accomplished by connecting to the valve a iiexible element, as for example, a cord or wire, indicated at 14, which cord or wire is led up through-the openings 10 in the disks 9 and cord 14 and permitting the valve 11 to immediately close. As aconsequence, the passage of flame from the ignited gases to the tank is -eifectually prevented and the tank may be iilled -with safety even during a storm. I n 'l Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a safety vent for oil storage tanks, a vent pipe having a vertically disposed branch extending above and below the pipe ratentfiivaee, i915.

p ropeya valve seat Within the branch at the ing through the foranlinous element and juncture of the pipe therewith, Aa valve arconnected to the Valve. 10

ranged to coperate With said seat, a orami- In testimony whereof I affix my signature nous element arranged Within the branch in presence of tWo Witnesses. above the valve, a fusible element; extending' TILLIAM M. BOWLES. [n s] transversely of the branch above the said Witnesses: foraminous element, and a flexible element KITTYv C. 'STURDEVANT,

Connected to thefusble element and extend- LUELLA Fisizeirsoiv.

l Copiesv oi this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing thev Commissioner of Patents.'

Washington, D. C. 

